The City of Azusa desires to share in regional goals of cleaner air and recognizes the value that clean air has in benefiting the health of Azusas citizens, attracting businesses, and improving the quality of life in Azusa. In 2000, the City Council adopted a policy to take a pro-active approach in the conversion of its fleet to alternative fuels.
70000.00
The City of Azusa ordered the vehicle from A-Z Bus Sales, Inc. in September 2001 with an anticipated delivery date of January 2002.
The objective of the project was to purchase a 20-passenger Ford E-450 Starcraft Allstar Paratransit Bus with a 5.4L 225 hp compressed natural gas (CNG) engine. The vehicle has a life expectancy of ten years based upon an estimated 35,000 miles per year. The vehicle will be used weekday mornings and evenings to transport Metrolink passengers to and from the Covina Metrolink station and worksites in Azusa.
Due to the large volume of CNG vehicles on order at the time, delivery of the bus was initially delayed until March 2002. However, due to a potential problem with the optional aluminum roof, which was resolved, the vehicle did not arrive until May 2002. At the time of submittal of the Final Report,the vehicle was driven exclusively by the Transportation Manager. He found the CNG bus to be comparable in power and performance to gasoline powered units of similar size and seating capacity. One drawback of the CNG vehicle was the limited driving range, compounded with limited access to nearby CNG stations. These limitations will be resolved when a fast-fill station opens near the City yard in the latter part of the year.